Heroes of our Time
by Dame Selena
Summary: "Look at all these names carved on this stone. These are names of those who are recognized as heroes of District 2," he said softly. A short fluffyish one-shot of a retired Peacekeeper and a young boy. Slice of life. WARNING: Glorification of suicide, depicts District 2 positively. Don't like? See if I can change your mind.


**Author's note: Thank you to Estoma and Turtledoves for beta reading this for me! Also this was based off a scene in Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto**

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><p>The retired Peacekeeper slowly made his way through the careworn stone path from his home to the Nut with his cane, pausing to pick out a leaf that had fallen in his iron-grey hair. When he arrived, he cracked his knuckles and stretched his back before settling down on the wooden bench.<p>

-Oof- At his age, even sitting down was a chore.

_Man, some retirement. An old geezer like me should be kicking back at home, not supervising the carving of the new victor's head on the Nut. Why did I get stuck with this job anyway? Oh yeah, those Peacekeepers from the Capitol are frickin' incompetent. _

He yawned and rubbed his eyes, noticing a young boy, maybe eight or nine years old behind a tree, peeping at the workers.

"Get lost kid, before I bust a cap on ya," he drawled lazily.

"Nuh-uh!" The boy said, stepping out from the tree with his hands on his hips. "Peacekeepers can't shoot minors unless they're committing a class three offense. Obstruction of labour is a class one offense."

Impressed, he raised his eyebrow. "Huh, so a whelp like you goes to the Academy. Probably won't graduate unless you learn to respect your elders. Now scram."

For some reason the boy took this as an invitation and scrambled onto the bench next to him. "Can I meet the victor and get an autograph?" the boy begged. "Please?"

He rolled his eyes "No kid, 'cause they're not here, victors have better things to do than hang around the Nut. Now for the last time, scram." He closed his eyes as if taking a nap.

After a few minutes he opened one eye lazily. The boy was still there, pouting so hard he could hang a bucket from his bottom lip.

He sighed. "You really wanted to meet them that bad?"

The boy nodded excitedly. "Yeah, the victors are the coolest, they get all this food for us, and they get their faces on the Nut, and they're famous. They're like, the heroes of our time!"

"The victors, they get all the recognition huh?" He frowned. Typical naive, star-struck kid, blinded by glamour and glory. He had seen too many kids like him ever since he got back from his 20-year stint. He glanced upward at the sculpted faces of the victors, then back at the boy. It seemed that kids today had forgotten what the Hunger Games were really about.

"Come on, I have something to show you." He beckoned for the boy to follow him. With the young boy in tow, the Peacekeeper made the slow, arduous journey to Town Square while the boy skipped ahead impatiently, pestering the older man with questions.

"What do you wanna show me?"

"This."

Underneath the district flag of a block of stone with crossed by a chisel and hammer, lay a stone tablet.

"Look at all these names carved on this stone. These are names of those who are recognized as heroes of District 2," he said softly.

"Yeah! One day my name will be carved on that stone too! A hero! That's what I'm gonna be!" The boy cheered.

He gave him a wry grin. "But these heroes here, they aren't just normal heroes."

"Oh yeah, what kind are they?" The boy asked eagerly.

"These are the heroes who died in the Hunger Games."

"Huh?" The grin slipped off the boy's face.

"This is a memorial. My best friend's name is also carved here..." he said softly, resting his fingers over one of the names.

"But... if they're dead, why are they heroes?" The boy whispered.

He lowered his eyes and chewed his lip. What was the best way to explain this? To tell him that his best friend didn't die for nothing?

"It's said that courage is born through life-threatening battle. The Hunger Games gives us just that, a chance prove our strength." He said finally. "It only has meaning because lives are at risk, and there are no greater heroes than those who lay down their lives to protect the district's prestige. Those who volunteer, they don't really expect to come back, but they go knowing we acknowledge their sacrifice."

He turned back to the boy who had tears running down his face and his trembling hands clenched in fists.

It was a lot to take, a boy as young as him wouldn't know because the remembrance ceremony was only attended by those older than reaping age. The mayor thought that the solemnity of these lengthy speeches was inappropriate for the maturity level of younger children with short attention spans, and the old Peacekeeper started to wonder if he had made a mistake bringing him here.

"That's it. When I grow up, I'm– I'm..."

"Kid?"

"I'm gonna volunteer and bring honour to District 2!" He burst out.

"That's a promise!" He grinned and flashed the older man a cheeky thumbs up.

He was taken aback, that smile, those tears, that phrase... the resemblance was uncanny.

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><p><em>No! Don't take him! I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!<em>

_Why? Why did you volunteer?_

_Because you're a wimp and you probably wouldn't last five seconds in the Games. I'm going to protect you, I'm going to protect our District. I'll do us proud, that's a promise!_

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><p>He was jolted from his reverie by the distinctive ring of the watch tower bells.<p>

_Ding Dong Ding Ding Dong Ding Dong_

He realized with a start that he had abandoned his post for over an hour, and he had to nerve to call the Capitol Peacekeepers incompetent! He wasn't the only one who had to run though.

"Ack, I'm late for class! See you around, mister!" The boy called as he scampered away.

A small smile played on his lips as he watched the boy's retreating back grow smaller and smaller.

_Damn kid didn't even give me his name._


End file.
